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Debate Expectations: Spinning the V.P.’s

Students at Washington University play with oversized Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots with photos of Senator Biden and Governor Palin. (Photo: Dilip Vishwanat for The New York Times)

As they did in advance of the presidential debate last week, both the Republicans and Democrats were engaging in that age-old political tradition of setting expectations before the vice presidential candidates go toe-to-toe at Washington University in St. Louis tonight. (The action starts at 9 p.m. Eastern).

If you believe the Democrats — specifically Obama campaign manager David Plouffe — Gov. Sarah Palin is “one of the best debaters in American politics.” That is what Mr. Plouffe said as he traveled to the site of tonight’s debate, according to MSNBC’s Mike Memoli. Mr. Memoli noted that several reporters who were taking down Mr. Plouffe’s remarks “chuckled at the superlative.”

This afternoon, Mike Gerhke, director of research at the Democratic National Committee, distributed a memo with video clips of Gov. Palin’s previous debates as well as favorable press accounts of her prowess on stage. (Some sample headlines: “Former Adversaries: Don’t Underestimate Palin” and “Palin Is ‘Very Good On Her Feet.’”)
“In contrast to her unsteady and erratic performances on the national stage,” Mr. Gerhke wrote, “Palin held her own in her gubernatorial campaign showing knowledge of complex local issues and Alaskan constitutional and legislative procedure. She also demonstrated that she could attack, counterpunch and even offer confident defenses of even her most extreme ideological views.”

He added: “Indeed the issue seems to be whether the Gov. Palin that shows up tonight will be the Palin heavily coached and scripted by a panicked McCain campaign, or the Gov. Palin who can calmly and confidently discuss topics she has a working knowledge of.”

On the Republican side, a spokesman for Senator John McCain, Ben Porritt, played down some of the same skills that Mr. Gerhke played up, saying that Gov. Palin was “in the underdog position.” He referred to Mr. Biden “a smooth-talking salesman.”

“This guy is an experienced debater who won a handful of democrat debates even though his campaign was outgunned,” Mr. Poritt said, according to CBS News.

“I think that’s why a lot of regular people out across America think she’s going to be their voice,” Mr. Lieberman said, according to a transcript of the exchange.

And when Ms. Mitchell followed up — “Senator, I mean, she wants to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. You know, that doesn’t mean just being an average mom. It means bringing other skills. Now, she’s a governor, so she should be able to answer these questions” – Senator Lieberman held his ground:

I think tonight is not a, kind of, final college exam. I think the point is, who is she as a person? I think that’s what people are ultimately looking for.

And I can tell you, my sense is, she’s strong; she’s smart; she’s got good values, and now she’s got a proven record of working across party lines in Alaska to get things done.

So whether she can answer every detailed question, I don’t think that ultimately matters to the American people, so long as they think she passes those other personal thresholds. And tonight is her opportunity to change the discussion and show the American people that she’s ready, for all those personal reasons, strengths, to be vice president.

Check back on The Caucus to see what they candidates say — we’ll be live blogging and fact-checking throughout the evening. We’ll have live video of the debate, too. Our virtual focus group of voters weighed in on which issues they hope the candidates will tackle tonight, and a round table of college newspaper editors from around the country will be offering their reactions to the debate.

I don’t really think that Sarah Palin is unintelligent. I do think that her viewpoints are too much to the right and therefore anything that is derived from her base principles will seem “stupid” even though there is internal logical consistency.

Take her stance of no abortions for rape victims. At first, I kinda thought this was a political killer. I couldn’t understand how someone could be so cold. But… after some amount of thought and soul searching, it seems to me that not allowing abortions for rape victims is thoroughly consistent for someone who believes that life begins at conception. While I don’t personally hold that view, there is logical consistency in her thought process.

I personally think that abortions should be allowed (for whatever reason) in the first trimester but not late term. Second trimester a bit gray for me. So I asked myself this: let’s say a woman was raped, she was somehow imprisoned for 8 months. She is 8 months pregnant when the police come to rescue her. Should she be allowed to have an abortion? After some thought, I’ve come to the perhaps cruel conclusion that I probably would not allow an abortion. The fact that the fetus is already 8 months overrides (in my opinion) the fact that the fetus came into being through a horrific act of violence. So I see the logical consistency in denying abortions to rape victims if the person saying it truly believes that life begins at conception.

To put it another way: I know it’s controversial, but what if a woman was raped, imprisoned by her captor for over a year, and gave birth to a baby? Nobody would say that the baby, no matter what its origins, would not deserve to live. Well, some very religious people believe that a fetus should have the same status as the 1 yr old baby. Regardless of whether you agree with that, I think there is logical consistency in saying “look, if it’s already a life, we can’t snuff it out based on how that life came into being.” The underlying question is “at what point is it life?” and the question is not “how did this life come about?”

Palin has been criticized for not allowing exceptions to her abortion views, but her stance of no exception is the logical outflow of believing that life begins at conception. Though her base principle may not be universally agreed upon, her logic in her thought process is not flawed.

A friend said, this debate should be fun; another said it would be the “Thrilla’ from Wasilla”, to which a third friend opined it would more likely be more “Swilla from Wasilla” if she answers tonight like she did to Katie Couric on CBS. Others wondered, will it be “The Shining Biden” or “A Shiner for Biden.” We’ll know soon enough…It’s time to get it on!

I listened to Gov. Palin in her Alaska debates and she really does sound quite strong and knowledgable. She was especially good at pointing out how she effectively cut taxes while she was the Mayor of Wasilla.

Sen. Biden, however, despite years of experience doesn’t understand when TV came into wide use by the American public.

Sen. Biden’s off-the-wall craziness will certainly be on display tonight. I hope Gwen Ifill’s asks him more questions about why he believes Hillary Clinton would have been a better nominee for VP.

Ah–Senator Lieberman–apologist-in-chief for the woefully unready and unsteady Palin.

““I think that’s why a lot of regular people out across America think she’s going to be their voice,” Mr. Lieberman said, according to a transcript of the exchange.

Is that honestly what this country needs, in Mr. Lieberman’s opinion?

From where I sit–that man is a quisling of the first water–his behavior since 2000 leads me to believe that his idiotic–sycophantic performance in his debate with Darth Cheney–in which he basically found himself in total, servile agreement with everything Darth said was really intentional–he wanted the Democrats to lose and the Republican’s to win.

Honestly. whatever the motivation for his performance then–I have to wonder why anyone would–based on that performance–give the man’s on this debate the time of day.

I know everyone here in Manhattan thinks Palin is an idiot but is it too much to ask for an objective media???

No matter what happens in the debate, the commentators from CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, blah, blah, blah will pick on one gaff or mistake by Palin and replay it over and over and over…Same thing happened between Clinton a and Obama during the primaries (driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants).

This will be the longest ninety minutes in Saratina’s life. We will get the real definition of PALINTOLOGY. It is rumored that Gwen Ifill will ask her all the questions that Charlie and Katie ask her. Saratina will find that unfair and Faux Noise will claim discrimination because Sean “Lovefest With Sarah” Hannity was left on the sidelines. Meanwhile, Regis Philbin was sighted in St. Louis. A replacement moderator?

Lieberman has got it all wrong. This election is NOT ABOUT PERSONALITY or who Palin, or any other candidate, is as a person. It is about who is qualified, knowledgeable, and competent enough to fix the mess the GOP has gotten us into. She absolutely should be required to know details. At this point, she has to prove that she is qualified for presidency–that’s how she should be judged tonight. If Americans really cared about their future, they would make their own decisions based on who can get the job done best–not on who they like or relate with best.

Whatever happens. McBush will declare victory.
Last week when McBush barely held his own. He immediatly told his crowd, ” I showed them who is Commander in Cheif ” with his thumbs held up and a maniacle grin on his face.

lordvoldemort….hmm…lordvoldemort, I know I have seen that name somewhere…disneyland?…no, wait I got it ” Lord of the Rings”? no no no, uh a book I think. Wait I know, the british author, witchcraft right? How original!

It is great to see all you wise BO and Biden supporters hating everyone other than liberals. Can you explain the great Biden going on about FDR on the TV comforting the nation after the great crash? Or can you explain how BO is ready to lead the nation having never made an executive decision in his life. Panhandling and extorting money to force businesses to give loans to people with no money didn’t seem to work out so well. What great decision has he made that should convince me he is ready to lead the world. Carter was a disaster that we live with till this day and BO will probably make decision that we as a nation will have to dig out from for the rest of my life. He is a WONK having pretty much having never sided with private industry in his life. Least we forget that the government employees leech off us private industry people. You do know that right?

For all the media-buy in of the artificial spin induced “expectations game,” the bar to clear for Palin will be is she of Presidential stature. The questions to be answered in the public mindset relate to her knowledge of national issues and capacity to govern if called upon.

I used to think a lot of Senator Lieberman, and he is the last person I would have expected to be condescending to Ms. Palin. But to say that “tonight is not … a college final exam…. [T]he point is, who is she as a person? I think that’s what people are ultimately looking for” condescends to BOTH the voters and to Sarah Palin. Would Mr. Lieberman dare to say such a thing of a MALE Vice Presidential candidate? He would risk mockery, at the very least. We know who Sarah Palin is; what we want to know is whether she knows enough to make some of the toughest decisions on earth, from economic to social to environmental to foreign policy and international relations. What does she know about ANY of these issues? I’d love to know more about my town mayor’s personality–I would certainly see more of him/her–but a potential VP? What on earth has happened to Senator Lieberman’s judgment? Is this really the best he can do? And what does that say about Ms. Palin, whom he certainly knows by this point?

Just wanted to bring to your attention to a person that the Sarah Palin factor reminds me of. In Australia we had a Pauline Hanson who also professed to represent the views of the common folk. She brought a sinister agenda to the arena of politics.
cheers
Andrew
Perth Australia

What is really sad day it that people are so blinded and starstruck by Obama’s charisma. Those who are critical of Sarah Palins “inexperience” yet fawn over Obama are the most insipid of hypocrites.
And he thinks he can be #1. . .

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